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Topic: Death Valley rally November 4-11 2018 (Read 1407 times)

Kevin and I just love Death Valley, and we have been lucky enough to get there during the 49ers Encampment for the last two years. I am organizing a RVForum rally for others interested. The camping area has no hookups, though central water and sewer dump are available. Price for the campground (Sunset) is $14/night or $7 with a senior pass. The average temps at this time of year are about 80 as a high and 45-50 as a low. However we have been there with temps in the 90s and lows around 40 (not at the same time though!). Generator hours are generous. As for activities there will be lots and lots of music, chataqua presentations by historical re-enactors, some primitive road adventures (mostly suitable for SUVs), gorgeous views, an art show, vendors, etc. Rally attendees will get together each day for a Happy Hour at our campsite with our propane fire pit (no wood or charcoal fires allowed). The website for the 49ers can be found at http://www.deathvalley49ers.org/ While you donít have to join, I highly encourage attendees to do so. They do a lot of good with the money through grants to the park and scholarships.

We donít quite have our route planned out yet other than knowing we want to do Quartzite in January but this sounds really interesting. We could probably put it on our schedule and then find other things in the area to check out before we head to Arizona

We leave the US on 31st October and had considered extending our stay to include the 49ers but it means delaying our arrival next year so decided against it. We will definitely visit Death Valley again as it is just fantastic. There is a Facebook group dedicated to Death Valley and it is definitely giving us some ideas of places to go that we haven't seen yet. We met a couple last year that go to this rally every year and love it.

Hmm, we'll be hosting near Bishop, Ca, so only like 178 miles away. Not sure yet when the campground closes, but I would think somewhere around the 1st of November. Might just mosey that way. Not planning anything this far out. Did that last year and changed every single plan we made...twice.

I generally don't plan that far ahead but since my winter digs are nearby in Pahrump, there's a good chance I'll be able to wander over!

I almost went to the 49er Encampment this year, but when I made a day trip in late September to view a presentation at the Visitor's Center about the Scotty's Castle flood recovery, Furnace Creek Ranch and the Inn were completely torn up by construction and the rangers weren't sure Sunset Campground would open at all this year except for the contracted week of the Encampment.

Things should be back to normal by November, although at this point it looks like Scotty's Castle and maybe Mesquite Campground in the northern part of the park will remain closed until 2020.

Pam: This looks really promising for us. I am already off work that week. Death Valley has been a bucket list place for me. Although we live in So Cal, we have never been to Death Valley. It would be great to see you guys again after meeting you at the Yosemite Rally last May. After tax season, I will be able to firm things up. Hope it works out. Thanks for organizing this!

We are in the process of selling a house in Utah, buying a house in Iowa, and ordering a motorhome. I am therefore delinquent in summarizing status. I know most havenít really decided, but having a list keeps me organized. I will update this list with adds, confirms, and deletes. If there is any data to update, either PM me or post it here.

We have always wanted to do the 49'er encampment....so I guess putting Burnetta and I(Dwight from Ventura, Ca) down as maybe's can't hurt. I'm sitting here thinking what do I have going on in November...nothing is coming to mind. LOL

Just wondering how early one should plan on arriving to secure a site. If the event starts on Nov 4th, would getting there a day or two early be good enough? Since we've never been and campgrounds are first come first serve....I'm sure it gets crowded and it looks like some Death Valley campgrounds will remain closed due to damage from flooding last year.

The only campground thatís closed due to flood damage is Mesquite on the far north side of the park, and it should be open in the fall if not sooner. Years ago, all the campgrounds would fill up a week before the 49ers official dates but thatís not the case any more. Last year, Sunset campground had spaces the whole Encampment. Furnace Creek campground will be totally booked up with reservations days after the reservations open up.

I understand the anxiousness of whether a spot will be available. We felt the same when we first came to the Encampment two years ago. However Sunset never fills. If the main part is full, they open up overflow areas. When those fill, they open up more! The place is absolutely huge, and even during busy Encampments (like 2 years ago) there were spots always available in the 4 or 5 overflow areas. Last year was much smaller with the uncertainties, and only two overflow areas were opened. The NPS campground with reservations (Furnace Creek) and the private campground with reservations (Fiddlerís) are probably already reserved, but there will be space in Sunset.

As for getting there early, Kevin and I will be arriving early, mostly because we love the place and partly to try to get a spot with enough space for folks to hang out. You really donít need to come early to find a spot. Note that this isnít like a rally where we will all be camped together. I bought a RV Forum flag at the Quartzsite rally so you will be able to find us. We will also post what site we are in when we get set up. I am sure we will be spread out through the campground, but that should be fine.

The campground was newly opened when I was there with my family in the 1960s and camping was restricted to the runway itself, extending from the north overflow area through the east side of the present campground to the south overflow area. Restrooms were provided by portable trailers in the center section.

Since then they've expanded the campground towards Furnace Creek Ranch (at the time you had to cross barren ground to get from the campground to Furnace Creek) and made the remaining parts of the runway into overflow areas.

If you pan west and look at the new airport, you can see like the Sunset Campground runway, it was originally built to handle large aircraft, probably as a WWII emergency landing strip, then shrunk to it's present small aircraft configuration.

Lou, thanks for that link. Fascinating. I always noticed the overflow areas were linear, and now I see they are part of the old runway. Also interesting that the orientation of the two runways are different.

Also interesting that the orientation of the two runways are different.

Runway orientations (or headings) are different by design, to allow landing when the wind is strong and not from a direction favorable for the primary runway, since aircraft normally land into the wind and the amount of crosswind they can handle is limited.

Runway orientations (or headings) are different by design, to allow landing when the wind is strong and not from a direction favorable for the primary runway, since aircraft normally land into the wind and the amount of crosswind they can handle is limited.

Understood. I am not a pilot, but I worked as an engineer for a major aerospace company in their displays and flight management system groups, among other areas. I would have thought both runways, the old one and the new one, would have been oriented in the same direction since I assume the winds havenít changed. Maybe they oriented based on a compromise with terrain?

OK...Good info! I kinda figured we all would be in different area's and such but I guess I thought it was harder to get into Sunset, so that's good news too. I suppose I'll get there early just the same and maybe spend a few days in Pahrump before heading to Sunset. Thanks again for all the info. :-)

We almost always stop in Pahrump a couple of days before going into Death Valley and after leaving to do laundry, clean the dust out of the coach and buy groceries. Oh, and gas up, fuel is EXPENSIVE in Death Valley.